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Sea Turtle Lays Eggs Across from Kansai Int’l - 1st Confirmed Sighting in 11 Years, 3rd Time Ever

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The sea turtle found on Tarui Souther Beach.

On July 13, the city of Sennan in Osaka Prefecture announced it had confirmed that a sea turtle was laying eggs on the night of July 12 on Tarui Southern Beach, which is on the opposite shore from Kansai International Airport in Izumisano, Osaka Prefecture.

A man-made beach was created on the shore for people to “watch airplanes landing and taking off” when Kansai International Airport was constructed. Security personnel had noticed “something moving” on the night the sighting of a sea turtle approximately one meter long was confirmed. City workers rushed to the scene upon being contacted. Reportedly, the sea turtle dug a hole in the sand, laid its eggs and then returned to the sea.

The city immediately decided to protect the eggs to ensure that the baby sea turtles are hatched and born safely so they can return to the ocean. A fence has already been erected around the site and regular patrols are being made. The city is seeking the cooperation of visitors to the beach.

This is the third time a sea turtle has been confirmed laying eggs on the shore and the first time in 11 years, the previous sightings being in 1995 and 1999.

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